


Old Gods.

by CescaLR



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), The Yogscast
Genre: (and then there's Zoeya who's sunshine and goodness thank u), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous Relationships, Difficult Decisions, Enderborn Rythian, F/F, F/M, Flux (Yogscast), Flux Buddies (Yogscast), Fluxed Nanosounds, Gen, Kinda, M/M, Magic, Moral Ambiguity, Morally Ambiguous Character, Not RPF, Old Gods, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Thaumcraft (Minecraft), VEHEMENTLY SO, Worldbuilding, anyway, anyway that's it i think, i can believe i wrote this just not that I'm posting it, it's the Characters I cannot stress this Enough
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 22:32:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19282522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CescaLR/pseuds/CescaLR
Summary: And to find yourself among old friends and enemies - both the same people...What a difficult situation /that/ is.





	1. [i, a] - The Return.

**Author's Note:**

> Flux Buddies 4 is great and awesome and this contains SPOILERS so if u are not caught up be WARNED for spoilers I haven't written yet (it will spoil ep 26 soon though so I'm being overly cautious)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Woah!” Lalna steps back, “Woah, wait, Rythian, just – I can explain, okay – “
> 
> Rythian thought of their rivalry, and he thought of what happened when it got out of hand – and he reigned in his righteous, justified anger. For the moment.
> 
> “Explain.”

“New world, new rules!” Lalna squawked out, brandishing a sword at Rythian.

Rythian blinked at him. “ _New world?”_ He echoed, dangerously. His connections to _his own_ magic snapping back into existence the way they had was disconcerting – so perhaps he’d missed something vital. Rythian frowned lightly as he focused on the magic he could feel – and. Yes.

Something was… strange. About it all.

Something – earthy… oh.

Druids. Hmm.

Something – _Flux,_ but – worse, oh _Gods, so much **worse.**_ And the **_Old Magic,_** it’s – it’s too _strong,_ why is it –

Rythian narrowed his focus on Lalna, and his eyes flared something closer to purple as he realised _just_ what the **_fucking idiot_** had gotten himself into _this time,_ and just what the fucking idiot had gotten **_everyone else into_** this time – **_fuck,_** Rythian just **knows _it’s his fault again, because it’s always his fault that worlds end, end end end –_**

“Woah!” Lalna steps back, “Woah, wait, Rythian, just – I can explain, okay – “

Rythian thought of their rivalry, and he thought of what happened when it got out of hand – and he reigned in his righteous, justified anger. For the moment.

“Explain.”

“There’s been a few worlds since we last saw you, and neither me nor Sjin were the cause of them _directly,_ they were just – faulty. So we had to move around a lot, but it’s – it’s fine! We’re just-“

“Running out of worlds,” Rythian said, coolly. “Even _you_ should be able to tell this is _too far back._ This world is too _young._ **Their _Call_** is almost deafening – and it’s _focused.”_

Rythian looked around.

“Wait.” Lalna lowered his sword. “ _Wait!_ You’re yelling at me like a righteous bastard but _you came out of the portal!”_ He accused. “That’s a hell of a double-standard. Why can _you_ mess with this stuff if I can’t satiate a bit of –“

“Scientific curiosity?” Rythian finished. “For that exact reason. There’s _nothing_ scientific about **_this,”_** He snarled, slamming a fist onto the portal frame. “Nothing. But you’ve used _science –“_ Rythian spat out the word, like it was something horrific, disgusting, something shameful – “to try and… what? Control it? Command it? Wield it?”

Rythian pointed at the machines he’d immediately noticed upon arrival. It was lucky, he supposed, that he’d appeared through the portal against the back wall, if nothing else.

“That’s just how it works!” Lalna said, exasperated, as he sheathed his sword. “God, Ryth, you’re always so _serious!_ It’s not **that** bad, we’re just – you know, fighting some old gods. We’re the good guys here, try’na kill them off.” He glanced at their surroundings. “Uh. If you ignore the décor.” Lalna looked back at him. “But then, _you_ can’t judge on _that_ front, your lairs were always _gloomy_ and Evil looking.”

“… You’re…” Rythian was at a loss for words. “You’re – _you’re trying to kill the Old Ones?”_

“Yes,” Lalna said, slowly. “Bravo, you can keep up with a conversation, a round of applause for Rythian _Enderborn –“_

Rythian refrained from grinding his teeth together. “You can’t _kill them,_ **Lalnable,** ” Rythian said, forcefully. Lalna winced then blinked at him. He mouthed ‘Lalnable’, confused for a moment, before he brushed it off in his usual case of stubbornness. “Of course, we can!” He said. “Nothing’s unable to die. Not _really._ ”

Rythian mentally made a note to subtly complain to Zoey about this interaction later.

“No. _You can’t.”_

Or. More specifically… he can’t. _Lalna_ can’t. There are a few that _could_ but… Lalna’s just a normal Player. Flux infested, nuke happy, eldritch addled, far too intelligent and utterly stupid for his own good, but… normal.

“ _Yes I can,”_ Lalna said, forcefully. As forcefully as Rythian had said his part – and Rythian knew nothing he could say would change anything. Lalna had always been _infuriatingly_ stubborn.

“Lal?” Rythian heard. “Who’re you talkin’ to in there?”

“Oh! Oh, no… no one, no one,” Lalna said, unconvincingly.

“If you say so,” The female voice replied, dubious. Obviously, she didn’t believe him – but, figures. Lalna would surround himself with people as terrible as he is at knowing when interference is a good idea versus a bad one. “I still haven’t seen the brain, you know. I _noticed_ the diversion, last time, but I didn’t bring it up – but, you know, just… I’d like to have another look around the tower, y’know? A proper gander, a guided tour. That sort of thing.”

“Ah…” Lalna hesitated. “Well – I mean… I don’t – it’s not… you know. The Flux, Nano, there’s – a lot of that. And, and what if you get all – weird again?”

“Well don’t _shoot me in the face_ this time,” ‘Nano’ said. “ _Come on,_ Lalna, don’t you want to _show me your brain?”_ She said, putting on a voice for the last part and then laughing at her own joke.

Lalna laughed, nervously. “Uh, yeah… well, later! We’ll do that later.”

“Fine! Fine. I’ll just come in then-“

“Oh! Before you do _that,”_ Lalna said, flying quickly out of the cathedral and landing in the way of Nano’s line of sight – “You… ah… heheh, you might wanna have a look at your ship…”

“WHAT!” Nano shrieked, and then she flew off and landed on the ship the sails that Rythian could see definitely belonged to.

There was some somewhat inaudible conversation, and then Nano flew off.

Lalna returned.

“Phew! Well, that was close.” Lalna grinned, as unstable as ever, and leaned against some of the remaining fence from what had probably once been an animal pen.

For the sacrifices. A messy business, but… Lalna was right, in one respect. Rythian couldn’t judge what he himself was guilty of. He’s always hated hypocrisy, and that would be it to the letter.

Rythian simply waited, patiently, and Lalna fidgeted under Rythian’s unimpressed stare.

“Right, well,” Lalna cleared his throat. “Is it just you, then?”

“Yes,” Rythian said. _For now,_ he added, mentally. Zoey was finishing up packing their things from the twilight forest, and Teep was having the time of his life massacring monsters in the dimension Rythian had just left.

After all. He’s a dinosaur. A sapient, sentient creature… but still a carnivorous dinosaur. A loyal friend, too, which is partly why he’s having so much fun. He’s protecting the portals, just – _just in case._

After all, Zoeya needs a safe route through.

“Oh.” Lalna said. He doesn’t know Zoey’s alive, as in – if she made it to the new world, and now Rythian knows the portals come through _this close to him,_ Rythian would honestly just rather they stay in the Twilight Forest. Who knows; maybe they’ll find another exit? Somewhere less infested by – all of this.

The Flux Taint, the Old Ones – though, truthfully, a surprising lack of unfortunately advanced science.

Perhaps it’s in his castle, or tower, or whatever he decided to build this time around.

(Of course it is. This _is_ Lalna.)

“For now,” Rythian finds himself adding. Lalna relaxes, minutely.

Rythian can’t begin to figure out what the blonde is thinking.

(Once… well. Things weren’t always this… fraught.)

(And that’s the problem, really. That **betrayal.** )

(Rythian helped him with magic, as – as Lalna ‘helped’ him with science. It was the most reckless, stupid thing Rythian ever did in the Old World – and maybe if he hadn’t, Lalna and Sjin’s war might not have escalated as quickly as it did into world-ending territory.)

 “Zoey,” Lalna said. “how is she?”

“Zoey.” Rythian said, because… well. Really.

“Right,” Lalna said. “Obvious. Hah. Um. The Dinosaur?”

“Teep.” Rythian paused. “… Is Teep.”

Lalna let out an explosive huff of air. “I’m trying, here,” He complained. “The least you could do is try, too.”

“Try what?” Rythian said. “Swap stories? Go on then, how was your transition from where we last _met_ to now?”

“I found out I’m a clone,” Lalna said, and there… there was a surprising amount of disconcertion in his expression, but – well. That was likely only because he wasn’t the one doing the cloning.

“How do you think-” Rythian cut himself off and shook his head. They were _all_ clones, as distasteful as it was.

“Lalnable Hector,” Lalna said. “The original clone. He cloned Nano and he – tormented us. I guess. Then there was some time travel. And – a bunch of other stuff. Spent some time with Xephos and Honeydew, going to the moon and some other whims.”

“Sounds _fun,”_ Rythian said.

“Another clone of me trapped me in a prison,” Lalna shrugged. Nothing ever seemed to really affect him, Rythian had always noticed. Like water off a duck’s back; every terrible occurrence seemed funny at the time and boring after the fact.

A smile grew on Lalna’s face. “’Magic Police’,” He flicked his eyes over to Rythian. “Might like to know He and Sjin had you at Undesirable Number One.”

Figures. _Lalna_ and _**Sjin** , _though, _policing magic?_

Rythian is… incredibly glad he missed _that_ headache.

“And ‘Nano’?” Rythian asked.

“My apprentice,” Lalna said. “She fell from the sky into my fountain and had a grudge against Sjin for blowing her up.” Lalna rocked on his heels. “I’d never seen her before, in any world. Honestly, I’d thought _something_ had gotten fucked up somewhere and another you had been dropped down but, well, _female._ That got disproved quickly, given that you’re completely different in, well… _every other way possible_ , other than your propensity for magic and grudges, but – can’t blame me. _New people_ aren’t exactly _common,_ you know.”

A girl, who fell from the sky. Apprenticed, to a lone teacher. A quest for revenge.

(A familiar story. Déjà vu in the most unfortunate of ways. Rythian really, _genuinely hates_ any parallels that could ever be drawn between him and his adversaries.)

“No, they’re not.” Rythian replied, as a way to not have to add anything or respond in any meaningful way.

(Rythian wouldn’t put it past Yoglabs to have cloned-him-but-female, after all. He’s not surprised it _isn’t_ , but he wouldn’t have been surprised if it _was_.)

(The thing is. Lalnable Hector got quietly fired because of ‘Heinous actions’ and – it being _Yoglabs_ who fired him – **_how bad was it?_** Because Yoglabs aren’t exactly good people, either.)

(It’s kind of… sad, really. Xephos is alright. Honeydew is alright. But their Yoglabs counterparts? Not… not so much. Except maybe Honeydew, since… well. Too many clones, in the end. Too much mind control.)

“Well, she’s more my friend now,” Lalna said, standing up properly. “Actually-” He looked at Rythian, “Since you’re here, d’you think you could… ah, well. We have a bit of a… problem.” Lalna said. “We’ve just sort of ignored it up ‘til now-” _Of course **you** have, _Rythian sighed, mentally, “- but, uh… it’s gotten – out of hand.”

“The Corruption?” Rythian said, dryly, as he looked at the Shogoth ooze – disgustingly everywhere. He could sense the decay of the place – the creeping darkness of the Old Ones’ power pervading the area.

“The Shogoth stuff, yeah,” Lalna poked at it with his sword. “it’s all… ooze-y. And there are tentacles.”

Of course, there are tentacles. It’s _abyssal magic,_ **of** **course there are tentacles.**

“Undoubtedly.” Rythian said. “There’s nothing _I_ can do. I didn’t put it here. You have to cleanse, destroy it all, everything to do with the Abyssal magics, and then you have to leave the area. Vacate it. Let the natural magics take over once more.”

“Well that’s boring and unhelpful,” Lalna said. “We can’t just leave! And we’re _so close._ We just defeated J’zahar – we’re tooling up before we delve deeper, since it looks like we need to go into the ‘Dark-“

“ ** _No.”_** Rythian said, moving his fastest to stand immediately in front of Lalna. “That is beyond – _you will **die,**_ you _idiot!_ It is the realm of **_Gods,_** immortal, evil, daemonic Gods, and it **_is beyond you.”_**

“But not you.” Lalna said. The scientist was pale, somewhat – he was _always_ pale, but at that moment it was the sort of pale of someone who’d seen or remembered something –

Rythian stepped back, blinked his eyes to a normal colour, and resisted the urge to adjust his scarf.

“No.” Rythian said. “It is beyond us all. We’re not _gods,_ Lalna. We’re not immortal. You’re playing with things you don’t understand and it is going to destroy _everything. **Everyone.”**_

“… Uh, is this a bad time, or…?”

“Nano!” Lalna snapped his head in her direction, then winced at the whiplash. “Ah-erm, Nano… this is Rythian.”

“Oh... _hoo._ That’s a loaded name.” She snorted, then waved. “Hello.”

_That’s a loaded name._

“You’ve heard of me?” Rythian asked, an eyebrow raising involuntarily.

“You know, funnily enough, people usually say ‘you’re shorter than I’d think’ but no, you’re actually _much_ taller,” Nano mused, as she walked over. “Uh, anyway… welcome to our base.” She gestured. “It’s a bit _Eevilll_ looking but, that’s, not completely our fault?” She grinned then, dropping the hesitant tone and talking through her laughter, “Nah, actually mate it’s entirely our fault.” She shook her head, laughter petering out. “… You’re some sort of expert on magic, right?”

Expert? There’s more to it than that.

“If you want to call it that.” Rythian said. “But there’s no way to be an expert on _magic._ It’s multi-layered and multi-faceted; you can know all about one subset and nothing about another. Some sections can be locked away from you while others are wide open and yet more just need some time and patience.”

“Right, okay, sure,” Nano said, “Do you know how to cure this?” She asked, gesturing at herself.

“You’re beyond it,” He said, apologetically – it wasn’t her fault, he could tell. It wasn’t even that hard to _guess,_ she was _Lalna’s apprentice._ Either it’s his doing, his fault, or he taught her wrong, and in any option, he’s the culprit – _especially for leaving it this long._

“Beyond it?” She echoed.

“The Taint is like The Corruption,” Rythian explained. “They’re… siblings and cousins and distant relatives all at once. The Corruption is just an older, stronger form. The younger the world the closer you will be to The Old Ones…. Here, now, we’re at the point when the Thaum is young and the Abyssal magics are strong. Loud. The Call is clear, here, which is slowing the Flux corruption in you – but heightening your connection to it’s cause. It’s _creator.”_

“Well… that’s ominous,” She said. “You mean Mother, right?”

“The Mother,” He confirmed. “Being in a world that’s _this_ young is worsening your condition. The only way I can think of is… finding a way to travel to a point where the magic is newer. Stronger, calmer. Freer. At some point in the future of this world, the magic will shift. Thaum will dry up, the Old Ones will go silent. It happens in all worlds. You just need to find that point before – before the cycle starts again in reverse.”

“Starts again?”

“A catastrophic action of nuclear or other sufficiently advanced technology mixed with the destruction of many magical artefacts all at once brings back the Thaumic energies and crystals and biomes, and equivalency doesn’t work anymore,” He sighed. “And destroys other magics while it brings forth new or old ones best forgotten, similarly with the technological advancements that can be made after the fact.”

“Well, you sound like you know what you’re talking about,” Nano said.

“I’ve lived through it.” Rythian said.

( _Too many times.)_

“Yeah,” She said. “Is that how you got here?”

“No,” Rythian flicked his eyes around the corrupted cathedral. “We got here through other means.”

“See, Nano, Ryth here’s a hypocrite,” Lalna said, grinning. “He used the ‘ _Abyssal Magics’_ to get here.”

“Not exactly,” Rythian said. “There’s a difference when you’re stuck in realm you can’t get out of. Stuck because the world you were in died after you left. You have to… move across dimensions. Instead of through. And – and the _only way…_ is through those portals.” He gestured to the portals practically lining the walls of the building. “We came from the bottom… and we made our way up.”

“Well,” Lalna coughed, “That’s – far too serious, okay, uh, do you want to go grab Zoey and Teep and we can all – eat in the… ah, well, sufficiently far enough away from the diner?”

“It’s a bit broken,” Nano said. “Just a teensy little bit. I’ll make some food. Don’t take too long,” ; nobody should wander those places alone, the creatures in there are right bastards.” She warned, and then the short woman was off, to the corrupted building Rythian figured was the diner they’d been talking about.

“Stay here.” Rythian said, sharply. “And give me _that,_ you _idiot,”_ He added, and he snatched, too quickly for Lalna to react, the Abyssalnomicon and The Staff from his belt and his back respectively. Rythian was through the portal in another blink, and it only took a couple minutes to find Teep and for Lalna to catch up with him.

“Give me back my stuff, I spent _forever_ on those!” Lalna demanded. Teep made a low, rumbling sound of warning and Lalna flicked wary eyes in the dinosaur’s direction.

“No.” Rythian said, pointedly.

“Do they know you can do that?” Lalna asked.

“No.” Rythian said. He started walking over to the next portal, as Teep moved to do the same.

(Lalna will assume. But… _Rythian_ hadn’t known he could do it until he’d been forcefully torn from his magic for so long, then abruptly joined to it upon his arrival in the new world.)

“Hold on,” Lalna said, “You can’t just – they’re _my_ items, I crafted them, I figured out how to make them and how they work you can’t just _take_ them!”

 _“ **It’s fucking dangerous.”**_ Rythian said, dangerously, as he rounded on Lalna. He handed Teep the staff, and Teep secured it on his back in his gun holster.

Lalna took a step back. Lalna wasn’t short, not really – but Rythian could still loom over him, easily.

(Lalna was somewhat tall, slightly above the average…. for a normal player. Rythian… was not a normal player. Like Xephos, and Honeydew, and Ridgedog, and Kirin Dave, and Lying… all for varying reasons.)

(And, as Rythian’s come to find – Zoey and Teep, too.)

(But. As stated: _all for varying reasons.)_

“Why? How?” Lalna asked. “I mean, obviously, we’re fighting gods but – I mean, how’s it any more dangerous than the ender dragon?”

“The Queen may be trivial to you,” Rythian said, “But have you ever actually _killed_ her?” He asked.

“Well… yeah,” Lalna looked at him, confused. “That’s… that’s the _point.”_

“And yet she comes back.” Rythian said. “Every time. Like clockwork. That’s the Old Gods, on a much, _much smaller_ scale. You can’t kill the Old Ones. You can barely put a dent in their armour.”

“Then get them out of the armour,” Lalna retorted. “And stab their fleshy… flesh bits.”

Rythian glared. “Don’t _joke-“_

 _“_ Why not? You’re _too_ serious-“

“ _I’m too serious?_ Lalna this could be the **end of everything, _ever-“_**

 ** _“_** Don’t be so _dramatic, Ryth-“_

“Uh, Rythian? Lalna?”

Rythian lowered his hand from the hilt of his sword, and stepped away from Lalna. He flexed his fingers, knuckles aching minutely from the tight grip, as he turned to Zoeya.

Lalna stared at her arm.

“Hey,” Zoeya tries for a smile, like she always does. “ _My contacts,”_ Here, she gives the both of them an exaggerated wink – “Say we’re wanted on the surface?”

“Yes.” Rythian said, stiffly. “Apparently so.”

“Great!” Zoeya grinned, bright and happy. Infectious as any Flux or Correllian Plague. “Let’s go, let’s go! I haven’t seen the sun in _aeons!”_

Oh, right. Of course.

(It hadn’t bothered Rythian all that much, the lack of sun. But Zoey… she’s sunshine personified. Fire and warmth and light and everything else. She belongs out there, on the surface. In the daytime.

In the light.)

(This… he’d known it’d be hard on her. This option. She hadn’t wanted to do any of the magic, and he hadn’t wanted her to. If she had, he wouldn’t have let her, no matter how angry she would have gotten because –

One of them corrupted is already one too many. At least Rythian’s _already_ corrupted. Just… through a different, if similar and related, source.)

Rythian inclined his head and Zoey grinned at him before sending a lukewarm semi-smile in Lalna’s direction – civil, cursory, she didn’t exactly _hate_ him but he’d _hurt her –_ and then she went through the portal. Rythian followed suit, then Lalna, and then the group of four made their way over to where Nano was. By way of _command._

Teleport abilities. A God-given override, no doubt, but which one? Which god created this world?

Rythian hasn’t heard much about Ridgedog in a while. Or the other gods, for that matter. But then, Rythian’s been trapped with _Other_ gods. _Old Ones._

Where would he have heard anything from, realistically?

Either way. Nano’s set out a picnic on a bed blanket – bibimbap, bacon and eggs, various soups, etc etc etc – all kinds of foods from all corners of Minecraftia.

Rythian didn’t eat, for obvious reasons – but the other four dug in – Teep to his raw meat, Zoey to the vegan food, Nano and Lalna to – whatever.

“You not gonna eat?” Nano asked.

“ **So!** ” Lalna said, loudly, “There’s _got_ to be a way to permanently defeat these gods, right?”

“No.” Rythian said, already tired of this argument. Not as tired as he is of other arguments he’s had with the scientist, but… that’s getting closer as the seconds tick by.

“No?” Nano asks, genuinely curious. “Why not?”

“They’re immortal,” Rythian said. “For a _reason.”_

“… So that they can’t be killed,” Nano said, letting out a dramatic sigh. “Well! Can’t be helped. Anything we _can_ do, though?”

“Pack up and move.” Rythian said, bluntly. “Destroy this cathedral. Destroy _everything._ All the ritual places, all the items, weapons – ore, ingots, bricks. Everything. And move more than a chunk away.”

“Phew, that’s… abrupt,” Nano said. “We can’t just leave, I mean. We put a lot of effort into building this place.”

“There are tentacles growing out of your roof.” Rythian said, flatly.

“And it feels gross,” Zoeya said. “The air. It’s horrible. Oily, rough. Yuck.”

“Not the air,” Rythian corrected, absently. “The magic.”

“Well – well, _yeah,”_ Nano said, semi-protesting. “But – but, we can fix it, right? We don’t just have to – _abandon_ everything.”

“You could have,” Rythian said, plainly. “Earlier. The flux is cured by a lack of exposure to related magics, and so is the corruption… so long as you aren’t too far along in terms of infection or infestation. This area is too infested and you are too infected for only time and a lack of magical energies to cure you. There’s nothing that can be done.”

“Really sorry,” Zoeya said, genuinely apologetic. Nano’s attention turned to the redhead – and, inevitably, to her arm. Or, rather – it’s replacement.

“What happened to _you?”_ Nano asked, and Lalna winced heavily in the background.

“Oh, _pshh,_ you know.” Zoey said, feigning a lack of discomfort. “Just a little, like, a _tiny_ nuclear explosion.”

Rythian, for a brief, weak moment, closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were cold, and angry, and he couldn’t help but glare at Lalna. The scientist in question shifted on the spot, as if poised to bolt. To run. He didn’t, though; instead, he kept the majority of his attention on Nano.

(But if you can say one thing about Lalna, it’s that he’s not stupid. He’s got a hand on the hilt of his sword and he’s occasionally glancing at Rythian and Teep and Zoey, making sure to keep himself a safe distance away.)

“What?” Nano frowned. “Wait – you mentioned…” She turned her attention to Rythian – and then zeroed in on Lalna. “Is there something you’re not telling me, Lalna?” She asked, pleasant but dangerous, and he cringed slightly as he stepped backwards.

“There might have been… something… that I neglected to mention?” Lalna tried. “I just – I mean, it was for _protection,_ okay! Rythian’s fucking _crazy,_ he hated me, and I just – I needed some insurance so that he wouldn’t try anything with his magic or – you know, I don’t know! He’s just, he’s dangerous, Nano. And – and so I needed to be dangerous _back,_ because his vengeance was petty and it wasn’t _me_ he should have been angry at and – and, look,” Lalna straightened up, and readjusted his grip on his sword. There was a steely sort of calculated coldness to his eyes, though any real factor of danger was undermined by the _three pairs of eyewear_ he had on. “A nuke was a sufficient deterrent. They’d have been _fine_ if they just left it alone, but _no, no,_ this _bastard_ had to let his apprentice fiddle around with the signals and _she_ _set it off,_ fuck, it’s not my fault!”

Rythian’s jaw ached with the pressure at which he was gritting his teeth.

Nano was silent. There was a short pause, and then:

“Why?” Zoey asked, rounding on the blonde man. “ **She**? _Me_ , right?” Zoey’s jaw tightened in anger held back. She _hated_ being angry, she hated conflict; Rythian knew she’d much prefer to just learn and explore and create and go on adventures than – than do whatever this conversation is. Zoey’s bubbly, she’s lovely, but she talks to mushrooms and people tend to think she’s _weird._

It’s fine. People don’t really like Teep, given that he’s a dinosaur whose diet could easily include them, and, well.

Nano had heard about Rythian.

(Given the people she knows. In all likelihood, it wasn’t anything good. And Rythian… can’t blame the rumour mill for that, not really.)

 

“Do y’know what it’s like to die in a nuclear explosion, Lal?” Zoey asked, quietly angry, quietly sad. “’S’not fun. I made – I made the mistake, I know that, but it wouldn’t have happened if _you hadn’t put it there!”_ Her face twisted in angry disappointment. “I thought you were alright, y’know? Back in the old world. Showed you around my _home._ Then you and… and Sjin did _that,_ and then – I didn’t…” She blinked rapidly. “I thought we were _friends._ But you – you destroyed my **home. _Twice._** And – and, sure, right, my arm’s way sick and all, but.” Zoey flexed the senseless fingers of her power glove. “I lost my real one because of you and I’ll never –“ She rapped her arm with her other hand, and the sound of metal rang clear in the air. “And now I – I – “

“Zoey,” Rythian said, “Zoeya-“

“No, Ryth, no let me…” She took a shaky breath. “Let me finish.” Zoeya looked at Nano. “Rythian did everything he could for me, y’know,” She said. “I’m really sorry that Lalna – that Lalna _couldn’t be bothered_ to do the same for you.”

Zoey returned her attention to Lalna. “Thanks, though,” She added. “For the stuff, I did need it to fight the mushroom war, but –“ ‘mushroom war?’ Nano mouthed to herself, confused –“But that was also the same night you trapped Rythian in a forcefield cage, and… man but that – that wasn’t cool.” She said. “I heard the whole thing.”

“Right, when you left Rythian to do science, because he hates it and anything else even remotely like it,” Lalna said, “I remember.”

“ _Forcefield cage_?” Nano prompted, “That’s the more important thing than your weird little magic-science rivalry. What forcefield?”

Lalna let out an echo of the same, somewhat wary laughter he had that night. “Oh… just a precautionary measure. Nothing – that bad, just solar powered. A light bit of damage if he flew too close to the edge, you know. Safety measure. He’s very _violent,_ I mean, look at him! He’s glaring at me!”

“That’s because you –” Rythian cut himself off and sighed. “I just wanted to ask a question; you didn’t need to trap me there all night.”

“You could’ve asked the question the same way you warned me,” Lalna pointed out. “No need to – to bring in the added danger of meeting in person.”

“What danger?” Rythian asked, ‘pleasantly’. “It was just a _peaceful talk,_ Lalna. A warning. I didn’t – we’ve already talked about this. I didn’t go there to kill you, just to _talk.”_

“Oh yeah,” Lalna said. “ _What you did requires retribution and justice,_ I remember, it was _weird._ I didn’t **do** anything!”

“And again, _yes you did.”_

“It was mostly Sjin,” Lalna echoed. “I can’t – _why_ are you _still_ mad about this? This was years ago! _Worlds_ ago, lives ago – it doesn’t matter anymore!”

“It matters –”

“No, not really –“

“Of course it does, Lalna you _destroyed a world-“_

“For – god knows how many times, _can’t I just say ‘sorry’ and_ be done with it-“

“’Sorry’, oh, _sure,_ if you **meant** it –”

“I thought all this was forgiven! You trapped me in an obsidian box with some TNT then ranted at me about peace and justice and how all the fighting and the rivalries just got innocent people hurt or some _shit_ so you can’t still be mad, I mean, _come on-“_

_“ **You fucking bastard-”**_

“Stop!”

Rythian blinked, as his sword clanged against Lalna’s. Rythian blinked again, then scowled under his scarf and took a step back.

“Holy – gosh,” Zoey said. “… Rythian?”

“We should go.” Rythian said.

“Wait,” Nano said. “Wait just… we should just – calm down, right?” She sheathed her own sword – a weapon, Rythian noted, that she handled with some trepidation, like it had been too long since she’d last used it’s type – “How – how about these three bunker up in your tower for the night, and we just… we try and actually talk over some food instead of argue like this?” She looked between everyone.

“That sounds great!” Zoey said, grabbing Rythian by the arm. “Awesome, amazing, can you show us the way?”

“I will,” Lalna said, easily, as if the previous argument hadn’t just occurred. “You should stay away from the tower, Nano.”

Nano sighed, as if this was an often-discussed topic. An often disagreed upon one, too, if her expression was any indication.

“It won’t do her any harm.” Rythian said. “No more than you already have. How did you get infected, Nano?”

“Oh, Lal here thought it’d be _hilarious_ to push me into a flux ball,” She said, rolling her eyes. “And then he locked me in a tower for a hundred-plus days. Anyway! Let’s be off, _Mother’s Calling.”_

“Oh… kay, I’m coming too,” Lalna said. “If you’re – set, then, right.” Lalna glanced at Zoey and Rythian. “Can you two fly, or?”

“Not at the moment.” Rythian said.

“No,” Zoeya said, mournfully.

“Alright, then we’re swimming.” Nano said. “Or, I mean, you could build a boat.”

“Doesn’t your ship move?” Rythian asked. Nano scowled. “It _did,”_ She said. “The goop fused it to the land. It’s stuck.”

“Aww,” Zoeya groaned, sympathetically. “That sucks. We’ll build some little ones for now – but since we’ll need one anyway, if we leave, we might as well make two! All nice and snazzy. I’m an interior designer, you know.” Zoey grinned, having pushed aside the gloom of the earlier conversation.

“Not bad,” Nano said. “Let’s get building some boats, then.”

* * *

“So… what is your beef with Lal, really?” Nano asked. “I mean. You _really_ hate him, like,” She laughed a little, “ _Really._ More than he seems to hate even _Lalnable,_ though, I mean-”

“Lalna doesn’t hate things.” Rythian said. “That would require _emotion.”_

“Oh, _burn.”_ Nano hopped up into the window, and leaned against the wall to Rythian’s right. “But. Really. I don’t know much of anything about the other people around here, y’know? I know Sjin, and I met Sips, and I know the Hats. Strawfingers. Lalnable and Five. And now you and Zoey and Teep. But-“

“You don’t know anything, do you?” Rythian asked. “Trust Lalna to be a terrible teacher.”

“Hey, he’s not _that_ bad.”

“He _locked you in a tower and gave you the flux taint.”_ Rythian said. He turned, abruptly, and Nano shifted into a slightly more defensive stance, wary. Rythian sighed, squeezed his eyes closed for a moment before he turned back around, and resumed staring out over the horizon.

“Not that I don’t respect your brooding or anything,” Nano said. “But I’d say from your point of view I have tonnes of reasons to hate him. I don’t, he’s my friend. Look, mate – I tried revenge. I tried vengeance. It’s was good, fine, you know, people who say it’s hollow are stupid – but, I mean. It gets messy.”

“I know that.” Rythian said. “ _Trust me,_ I know that.”

“So what’s your beef then?” Nano asked. “We’ve all done stupid things, I mean, the world’s rules change _way_ too often.”

“Worlds’,” Rythian corrected. “Each world has it’s own rules. It’s not that the world’s rules are changing – it’s that you’re changing worlds.”

“Really now?” Nano shook her head, signifying the question as rhetorical, for now. “Not the point. Answer the question; why’d you hate him so much? He can be a dick, I know that, first hand experience and all, but he’s a pretty good guy, really.”

“Lalnable was never a good person.” Rythian said. “The Original. He seemed nice, but – they always do. Your Lalna isn’t any different.”

“That’s rude, wow.” Nano punched him in the arm, a light reprimand. “Clone’s not always the same as it’s donor. I got a clone, she’s pure evil. I’m not.”

“You are a clone,” Rythian said, sharply, momentarily lapsing. He winced, mentally. Most people didn’t know about Yoglabs – just those who’s original clones did. “We all are,” He barrelled on, because he might as well. “The point is that you’re the same person. Otherwise respawning wouldn’t work.”

“Then explain Lalnable Hector,” Nano said, straightening up. “Go on. How’s the original so _Evil_ and Lal’s just not?”

“ _’Lal’ is.”_ Rythian said. “ _He’s just better at hiding it.”_

“You’re really set on this, aren’t you?” Nano asked. “Man. Never thought I’d find someone more stubborn than Lalna, but here we are.”

Rythian grit his teeth. “Hector wasn’t the one that ended the Old World, he wasn’t the one that planned on having a bomb under my base and me stuck, forever, in a forcefield cube on his front fucking lawn like some twisted _trophy,_ he wasn’t the one that caused the permanent damage to Zoeya’s _whole_ _clone line._ Your leg gets chopped off. You die. A new one comes back. You get _blown up_ by a _nuke_ and you lose a part of yourself _forever.”_

And you don’t always come back.

Fuck it.

“And you don’t always come back,” Rythian added, quietly, as he turned back to look out at the horizon. “She nearly didn’t.”

“What?”

“Zoey died.” Rythian said. “…I couldn’t have that.”

Rythian glanced at Nano. “Zoey was right,” He said. “I do feel sorry for you. Lalna’s not the type to help people when they need it.”

“He has helped,” Nano said. “We’ve done good.”

“And bad.” Rythian said. “Mostly bad, I’d wager.”

“Are you going to stay?” Nano asked. Rythian snorted. “Gods, no, we’d murder each other within the week,” He said.

“Before all this,” Nano started, “… Were you friends?”

Rythian huffed out a chuckle, a sad little attempt at a sound. “You really are young.” He murmured. “Nano… we were _all_ friends, once.” He sighed. Illusions were simple magic, but he didn’t want to expose her to yet another form of the Corruption.

The Void. The End. The Queen.

He couldn’t show her, but he could tell her, if she asked.

“Who?” She asked.

“Xephos, Honeydew, Lalnable, Minty, Lomadia, Nilesey – Nano, I could go _on,”_ He shook his head. “There were – there were so many of us, once. A little _community._ ” He spat out. “It shrunk. And shrunk. And then it ended. And now we’re here.” He gestured. “A new world, a young world – something very, _very_ dangerous. The old world was _safe,_ it was _stable –_ the magic had settled. Then it was over, and we had to move, and we found another world in it’s prime… but then the nuke, and – and it was destabilised. And now…” Rythian shook his head. “The world is so young the Abyssal Magics are _easy_ to come across. And that’s… not good for anyone.”

Certainly not her. Definitely not him.

“It’s been fine for Lal,” Nano said. “Lalna’s – his flux is _gone._ He hasn’t even gotten re-infected from being around me.”

“Of course he hasn’t,” Rythian said, bitterly.

“Do you have it?” Nano asked. “Is that how you know so much? And the scarf?”

“No.” Rythian said, shortly.

“Hey, sorry,” Nano held up her hands. “Didn’t mean anything by it. You look cool, way better than – well, _this_ fashion disaster.” She gestured to herself.

“… thanks?” Rythian replied. “If it’s anything, you don’t look as much of a fucking idiot as Lalna does.”

“Well, yeah, that’s something,” She grinned at him. “Come on, Master of The Brooding, have a kip. We should be able to be more civil after a good night’s rest.”

“… Maybe.” Rythian said. Nano shrugged, and glided out of the tower.

* * *

 

“Rythian’s a closed book, but damn, Lal, you don’t attempt to keep people locked away. Though we went over this.”

“To be fair,” Lalna said, “I used _solar_ panels. He could get out pretty easily. He _did_ get out pretty easily. I was just… joking around. ‘It’s like a fish tank, with a mage’, cue laughter, y’know? … ‘S’ _funny_.”

“Oh, hah-hah, Lalna.” Nano rolled her eyes. “Also, it was way before I met you,” Lalna said, “People can change, y’know, that was one thing Rythian never understood. It’s been – _years,_ world, _lives_ between then and now. We’ve all _moved on,_ except for him.”

“Because it hasn’t been, for them, has it?”

“It’s been years,” He said. “They disappeared before we switched worlds – space exploration requires, y’know, _space to explore,_ so we had to go find a world that had that. I guess they just got stuck in another dimension. It _happens.”_

“How often?”

Lalna shrugged. “Funnily enough? Mostly to Ryth,” He laughed slightly. “Unlucky bastard. Got stuck in the End, once.” Lalna hesitated, for a split second. “His own fault, really.” Lalna said. “Didn’t know what he was doing.”

None of them had, of course. That was – the first portal. When the Endermen started showing up, and then… strongholds – and then…

But – really. Only an idiot does that sort of thing alone, anyway, and it’s not Lalna’s fault the portal got destroyed. Before he could follow. Along with the rest of them. Like they’d all planned. Because there had been more than just two people involved, that would have also been very stupid.

Okay. Maybe a laser had been misfired. Maybe a few blocks had been broken and he didn’t know how anything worked so he didn’t know how to fix it but one thing he _did_ know was that Rythian was a fully fucking _capable_ mage and he could look after himself.

(Maybe he just ignored the problem until it resolved itself – but that’s neither here nor there. Literally. There doesn’t exist anymore and it never happened here.)

“Really?” Nano asked, an eyebrow raising in surprise. “He seems pretty knowledgeable.”

“Well, he is _now,”_ Lalna said. “But we all started out punching wood, you know?”

“Oh, well, yeah, duh,” Nano nodded along. “Alright, I’ll bite. You’ve known each other for a long time, right?”

“Might not want to bite,” Lalna let out some laughter – nervous or not, Nano found, it was surprisingly hard to tell. “Nothing much to say, really. It’s a bland meal. Knew each other. Lived in the same area. Might have murdered him, might have tried to murder me, doesn’t _really_ matter. Pretty much nothing to me, really,” He chuckled. “Ryth’s just a bit – obsessive. And _weird.”_

“Well,” She laughed, “I mean, you’re not wrong about the weird – but I could say the same about you, y’dick,” She teased, fondly. “Come on. Let’s skip the night. Looks like Ryth’s still up but Teep and Zo’ are asleep, and at least one of us is needed for it to be morning.”

“Right, yeah, of course.” Lalna said. “Go on, your turn.”

“Awesome,” She said. Nano shucked off her armour and her jetpack, and then she climbed into bed. Nano was out like a light, in less than a minute – and Lala knew it’d take about two for the night to change over, so…

Lalna geared back up again, and flew off in the direction of the tower.

* * *

 

“Well well.” Lalna said. “Look who’s tinkering with science now.”

“Ha.” Rythian said, shortly; not a laugh at all… somewhat mocking, even, maybe, as he casually stole the use of Lalna’s forge to make himself better tools and armour instead of being smart and just, well, _sleeping._ But then, Rythian had always been the sort of idiot to not skip the night when he didn’t need what it brought.

“Forging isn’t exactly a science, Lalna.” Rythian said. “It’s – skilled work. A craft. Like a carpenter, or a stone mason. Something we _all_ have to be, living like we do.”

Nomadic and alone, for the most part. Lalna dropped the last few inches to the floor, and set about swapping his jetpack for his armour. Rythian’s armour was gone – he’d probably smelted it down and started going about making something new and better with it, alongside whatever materials he had on hand or had found in Lalna’s chests. Lalna _would_ be more annoyed, but it’s not like he’d gotten most of this legitimately anyway. He can just get some more.

“Doesn’t matter,” Lalna said. “Just, be careful, alright? Have you even used one of these before?”

“It’s strange, but upon arriving here I found some books in my bag I didn’t have before,” Rythian pointed at the _materials and me_ volumes he had open – he’d already started jotting notes down and postulating about what you could actually do with all the options, the hypocritical bastard – and returned to keeping an eye on the tool rods and the bindings and all the rest of everything he needed.

“Strange,” Lalna said, not bothering to tell Rythian about the book that would mean he didn’t need to lug around so many how-to guides. “Either way this is _my_ forge, you can’t just use it!”

“So long as you’re _messing around_ with things you don’t **understand,** we’re staying,” Rythian said. “Hopefully we can avert the world’s actual _end,_ if nothing else.”

“We?” Lalna asked.

“Your mess. You fix it.” Rythian said. “But objectively, I’m the one who knows the most about this. About the Gods.”

“This is more than just, fucking – I don’t know, it’s more than Ridgedog, it’s more than – Dave, or Lying, or whoever,” Lalna said. “God, Rythian, it’s more than the Ender Dragon. You know as much about this as the rest of us, you just, you fought your way _up_ instead of _down._ Same difference.”

“It’s not and you _know it.”_ Rythian said, darkly. “It never was.”

“You got out.” Lalna said.

“ _Both times.”_ Rythian slammed the hammer down and Lalna winced at the tone of his voice. “Get the **fuck** out of here, _Livid,_ before I **tear your face off.”**

“That’s… a little extreme,” Lalna said. God. _Livid._ He hadn’t heard _that_ in –

 _God._ That was back… Before. Even before the _Old World._ Before the scientific revolution, before – before the first ever world change.

Before _Yoglabs._ After…

After the Heroes saved the Worlds.

Rythian stilled. “You’re right,” He said, stiffly, a surprising and out of character admission. Lalna blinked at him, bemused. “You’re – right.” He repeated, and Lalna could hear the characteristic twist of annoyance in his tone, this time. Rythian finished with his sword, and continued his little project to arm up. “You’re still contaminated, you know that, right?” Rythian asked. “The Flux. It’s not on your face or anywhere obvious but it’s there, I can tell.”

“Well, I use Thaumaturgy,” Lalna said. “So, I mean – it’s a side-effect.”

“Not if you’re _safe_ about it.” Rythian said, sharply. He _would_ be paranoid about that sort of thing, wouldn’t he?

If the scarf’s any indication, he never just – got over it. Nano is half gross-arse monster lady, partially normal person, but she doesn’t _hide_ like Rythian does. She’s not so much of a _coward._

“Like you were?” Lalna said. “Always wondered if the scarf was itchy, I mean. It can’t be comfortable.”

Rythian was paler than Lalna remembered, too – that was probably from being trapped in realms without sunlight, though. Shame, really; it’d have been _hilarious_ to see his face with a scarf-made tan line.

(His hair was darker, too – all over, a darker shade of brown and that weird tuft a darker, dirtier blonde. His eyes changed colour, which Lalna doesn’t remember – and he at least _seems_ taller. But then, that would be the _Enderborn_ part of him for you.)

“Well, I need to make the measurements for the helmet,” Rythian said, and the room suddenly felt cold. “So I _might as well.”_

Oh no.

Rythian pulled down and removed the scarf with one hand and a _complete_ lack of drama, which just seemed like a waste, and. Right.

Lalna had actually _forgotten_ what Rythian’s face had looked like, beyond the various half-masks he’d worn over the years. Before the – _accident_ it was more of a ‘mysterious travelling wizard’ aesthetic thing, and also something to protect from the quick, cold air of flight over the ocean – but after…

Enderman black, not-quite skin, that cracked and morphed into the normal skin of his face just below his nose. Scars and markings and strange teeth and – yeah. Nano’s flux was obvious; Rythian’s own brand of corruptive power was easy to spot, too. If he wasn’t wearing the mask, that is. If he was, then, well.

The eyes gave him away. Eerie, glowing. Unnaturally coloured. And now, they even _change,_ too.

And now, even this part was worse. Lalna could have sworn it was just cracked, strange skin and markings, with some blackened not-skin creeping in with some slightly altered teeth but not – not to this extent.

But then. _Rythian was a hypocrite._ He could have fixed this, but he didn’t. And now here they are.

Enemies with a flimsy peace agreement and a… very _long_ history. Built on near death and sacrifice and mutual threats – that were mutually followed up on. Lalna would have found it funnier if it was someone else’s story to tell. Instead it’s just…

Awkward.

“Well _that’s_ worse than I remember,” Lalna said. It was _freaky_ in the same way Nano’s flux was freaky; ignorable. There are so many things Lalna just – either doesn’t remember or doesn’t care about, likely due to being a ‘failed clone’ of Lalnable Hector’s; so a clone of a clone, but…

He’s not sure what this quite honest lack of a reaction is, really. To Nano’s state, to Rythian’s. To Zoey’s. Lalnable would have tried to _cause_ it – this horror. The abominations of Nano and Rythian. Lalna just… can’t find it in himself to bother to fix any of what he can fix, or to care about what he can’t.

(Maybe that’s part of the cloning Hector did that succeeded. After all, Lalna doesn’t know at what percentage of deviation the Original Clone would have considered failure. He had to get some of it right, anyway, otherwise Lalna wouldn’t even _be here._

So the question; how much is Lalna, well, Lalna, and how much is he Hector?)

(He could do some testing if he could find the memories on DNA related science that he knows he has _somewhere,_ since he knows, generally, that Teep came from one of his previous selves’ side-projects, so Lalna _must_ know genetics - but. _Alas.)_

“Yes.” Rythian confirmed.

“Not much worse than Nano, though, and Five’s _way_ grosser,” Lalna said. “Look, you’re a freak, who cares. Move on.”

“What a _rousing_ pep-talk, Lalna, I’ll be sure to take _that_ into account,” Rythian finished up with his bow, and made some arrows before he spoke again. Lalna didn’t fill the silence; he’d just let it fester.

“You don’t have to watch, you know, if you want the night to go faster you can sleep yourself.” Rythian said.

“Wouldn’t do the job,” Lalna said. The sudden awareness of another Player appearing in the world came and went like it always did.

“Oh,” Rythian scowled. He finished up the measurements for the helmet, and pulled his scarf back up.

“Zoey ever seen?” Lalna asked.

Rythian cast him a glance Lalna couldn’t read, but his eyes dimmed, less blue, more purple. “What do you think?” He asked, calmly.

“No,” Lalna said.

“You can carry on thinking that, then,” Rythian said, as he turned of the faucet and waited for the pieces of the helm to cool somewhat.

“You’ve graduated from arm bandages to gloves, too,” Lalna noted.

“And you’ve gone more casual – clothes change out of necessity. Is the new look meant to soothe Nano’s worries? Make her think you’re less insane than you are?”

Lalna rolled his eyes. “Don’t be-“

“As idiotic as you were being, yes.” Rythian sets about combining the metal pieces to make the helm.

“No, not yes,” Lalna says. “You use those bandages to hide like you use the scarf to hide, come on, Ryth.”

“Oh, how astute,” Rythian said. “Tell me – what’s the point of full, elbow height rubber gloves, _Lal?”_

“Fuck off,” Lalna said. “I’ve only got better. You’ve got _worse.”_

“And whose fault is that?” Rythian said. Snide.

“ _Not mine!”_ Lalna rounded on him. “You’re the one who thought it’d be a _bright idea_ to go to the _Twilight Forest!”_

“Well maybe if I’d have known it _existed,_ I’d have been able to avoid _going there,_ but I don’t know everything about the various Planes, Lalna, just as you don’t, can’t, and won’t ever know everything about Magic _and_ Science!” Rythian slammed the hammer onto the anvil and rounded on Lalna in turn.

Rythian’s eyes were the most purple he’d seen, yet – the brightest, too; their light less like a strange luminescence that didn’t affect anything else, and more like a torch, lighting up the planes of his face in strange, stark ways.

“Guys!” Nano yelled. “It’s morning!”

And so it was.

Rythian’s hands were clenched in anger, knuckles probably white under the gloves. If his hands weren’t… like his face, anyway.

There had been a horrible snapping, creaking sound when he’d clenched the left one – so Lalna severely doubted they _weren’t._

“Can we not leave you alone for two seconds without a fight nearly breaking out?” Nano said, as she dropped onto the ground and walked inside.

“Do you guys have – oh, never mind.” Zoey said. “I’ll just – Ryth, can – we need more Redstone or my arm’s gonna die again…”

“Where’s your Redstone?” Rythian asked. “In the tower,” Lalna said, awkwardly. “I’ll just…”

And with that, he flew off. Nano followed him up to the tower and inside, over the invisible blocks to the giant chest.

“What?” Lalna asked. Her expression was the sort of expression one had when they _really_ wanted to ask for an explanation, but didn’t want to seem too invasive – which, for Nano, was a severely rare occurrence. One thing he liked about her – _genuinely_ liked about her; take that, Rythian – was her bluntness.

“Oh, y’know,” Nano said, “I just didn’t know y’had such _baggage,_ Lal.”

“I’m – thousands of clones and – too many worlds older than you, Nano,” Lalna said. “Of course I’ve got – y’know. A lot of history.”

Lalna took out the Redstone and started flying back down to the smeltery at a snail’s pace.

“I’ll take it,” Nano offered.

“No, I’ll… just, check the Cathedral or something,” Lalna said. “We still need to go kill the big guy.”

“We’re doing that?” Nano said. “But didn’t Ryth-“

Lalna laughed, sharply. “Rythian’s paranoid. We’ll be fine. He’s dramatic, too, there’s no way this won’t be like the Ender Dragon – we’ll just kill the God, take the rewards, finish things off down in the Dark, right, and that whole cycle he talks about will start. I mean, think about it. How does the ‘ _Old Magic’,_ ” Lalna rolled his eyes, “Disappear and get replaced by the Thaum, anyway? Easy; it’s killed off.”

“Makes sense,” Nano shrugs. “Alright, I’ll get our shit together.”

“Cool.” Lalna said. “See you down there.”

* * *

 

“We’re going through, like we planned before you guys showed up,” Nano said, as she handed over the Redstone to Zoey.

“What?” Rythian asked, dangerously.

“Look,” Nano said, semi-apologetically, “We’re just doing what feels right, alright? And this _feels right._ ”

“Of course it does.” Rythian said. “You’re _Her,_ after all.”

Nano frowned at him.

“How do you think Thaum takes over?” Rythian asked.

“Something has to replace the Old Magic when it’s killed off,” Nano shrugged.

“And who do you think replaces it?” Rythian asked.

“… Who?”

“Yes, who,” Rythian pulled on his helmet, then did the straps of his armour as he spoke. “The Mother chooses a child – and that child becomes Her. Not all of them do – some are left with their own deviation of Corruption, like The Queen – the Void, the End. There’s the Nether, too, though that’s… more complicated.” He frowned, heavily. “And unimportant. The point is – kill the old ones, and you’ll die too. And The Mother will take over, and…” He shrugged. “Well. The cycle continues. Maybe Yoglabs will respawn you – but frankly… I have a feeling there’s no Original Clone, for you.”

“What?” She frowned. “You said we were all clones –“

“I might have been wrong,” Rythian said. “Some of us don’t have clones. Or aren’t clones of an Original. Ridgedog, Lying, Kirin Dave – among others.”

“They’re Gods, aren’t they?” She asked.

“Not exactly.” He said. “But the closest safe option, yes.”

“And you?” Nano asked. “Thankfully not,” Rythian said. “Or I’d have died long ago. No – I’m just… different. To the average Player.”

Like Zoeya, like Teep, like – many others Rythian hasn’t seen in… a long time.

(… Like there’s anything such as an ‘average player’, anyway.)

“Oh… drat.” Zoeya said, as some wires popped and something fizzled strangely in her arm. “I’ll just – I need some tools –“ And with that she was off, in the direction of the tower.

Nano watched her go, as did Rythian, and then they turned their attentions back to each other.

“He’ll be bored out of his mind waiting,” Nano said. “I should get going. Lal’s more – eh, fun, when he’s looking for entertainment.”

“Fun is a kind way of putting it,” Rythian said, darkly. “I’ll be coming with you.” He said. “I need to close the portals, anyway.”

“Close the-?” She frowned.

“The ones from where we came from,” Rythian explained. “A link to a dead world is… dangerous.”

“Oh, right, well, sounds it.” She nodded, agreeably. “Alright, come on then –“ She hesitated before flying off. “Wait,” She said. “You need a way to move around.”

I have one,” Rythian said. He disappeared during her next blink.

“Dramatic.” Nano noted. “Lal was right, there, then. Okay. Let’s go…” She muttered to herself, rolling her eyes, as she flew down to the Cathedral.

* * *

Lalna yelped when Rythian appeared, during one blink, right in front of the portal.

“Well?” Rythian asked. “If you insist on destroying everything, again, you might as well get it over with.”

“Oh look, Rythian the Hypocrite is back, everyone,” Lalna said.

“A Hypocrite is someone who condemns something while doing that very thing,” Rythian said. “I am _no_ Hypocrite.”

“Oh, my mistake,” Lalna said. “What is it, exactly, that you did back in the Beginning? Remind me; memories are a bit fuzzy. Not mine, after all.”

“I didn’t do _anything.”_ Rythian said. “You broke the link.”

“And you could have found your way back!” Lalna turned away from the machine and glared at the mage. “You’re good at that – I mean, look! You’re here, and what are the fucking odds of that? Point, my point,” Lalna rolled his eyes. “You didn’t have to end the World to get yourself out.”

“That was the only option at the time!” Rythian snapped. He surged forwards and shoved Lalna – and in one blink, Lalna was on his back on the roof, Rythian three strides away.

“Do you have control of this?” Lalna asked, considering for the first time if, maybe, the teleporting wasn’t just another thing Rythian had kept hidden, or held back because of his weird hatred of using any of the abilities being Enderborn gave him.

“You haven’t changed.” Rythian said.

“That’s – wow,” Lalna laughed. “Which of us still has our First Name, huh? You called me _Livid,_ earlier, like it still applies. Like it’s still our first world.” Lalna stood, and Rythian stayed where he was.

Lalna noticed, in the dark, that the strange spare sword he had glowed slightly, strangely. There was an –

“I thought you lost it.” Lalna said, staring at the sword.

“It won’t let me,” Rythian said. “Guess we’re all cursed,” Lalna laughed, awkwardly. “You know I _am_ sorry about that, right?”

“No, you’re not.”

Lalna inclined his head. “Alright, you’re not wrong there. But, y’know, lately I’ve been thinking that if I could, I’d like to be.”

“Well,” Rythian said. “Now isn’t that _something?”_

“Nano’s a good person,” Lalna said. “Mostly. I guess… she’s helped me with that.”

“That’s a given with the people you like to be around,” Rythian said. “The inevitable existence of some evil. The fact that she’s been a _good_ influence is surprising, I’ll admit.”

“Right.” Lalna laughed. “Mighty Mage, definitely not evil. I remember. Sort of.”

“Strange that Hector bothered to keep those memories in his clones,” Rythian said. “I’d understand an OGC line remembering, but his line?”

“He’s completely insane,” Lalna said. “Maybe he just can’t be bothered to limit what we remember.”

“Unlike Xephos,” Rythian grumbled. “Well then. Let’s get this over with.”

Rythian disappeared back into the Cathedral, and Lalna TP-d to Nano’s location.

“Eugh, I hate that,” She said, as he stepped away.

“Doesn’t seem particularly pleasant,” Rythian noted critically. “How does it work? How’d you get access to it – usually only Gods have that power…” He trailed off, frowning.

 _Hypocrite_ , Lalna thought.

“Oh – I dunno – we kinda just have it? I mean, if you can find one of those Gods, maybe they’d know…” Nano offered.

* * *

While they dealt with the Old God, Rythian sort of just… loitered around. He moved too quickly for the creatures here to bother him, or to be bothered by them, so he was just sort of there, as a silent, disapproving spectator to the whole thing.

“Kind of awkward, kind of creepy,” Nano said.

“That’s Rythian for you,” Lalna replied.

“So it’s done,” Rythian said. “Now for the Dark.”

“And how does that work?” Nano asked.

“Simple.” Rythian said. He stepped close to the edge. “We _Fall,”_ He said, ominously – and stepped backwards.

Nano flew over and watched him sink deeper into the Darkness until she could see him no more.

“Well,” Nano said. “That was _definitely_ dramatic.” She said. She laughed. “I like him, actually. He’s alright.”

“He’s not,” Lalna laughed. “Oh, man, he’s – just not, do you know how many times he’s tried to kill me?”

“How many times have you tried to kill him?” She said, unimpressed.

“… Uh, ‘bout equal,” Lalna admitted.

“See, that I’ll believe,” Nano said. “Now – C’mon. Mother’s waiting.”

And with that nonchalant, terrible statement, Nano dropped. Lalna sighed.

He was going to be stuck down in the Dark with – literally the two _least stable_ people he knew, not including himself.

Great.

Lalna stepped over the edge –

And _Fell._

* * *

 

 


	2. [i, b] - The Forest.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something was blocking out the sky. Rythian blinked, and his eyes focused on bright eyes and a worried expression.

“There are… other options.” Rythian said, as he stared up at the sky. Zoeya rolled over on her bedroll, on the opposite side of their campfire, and smiled somewhat warily at him.

Still. _Smiled._ It was good to see her smiling. See her doing more than – than lying there prone on a hospital bed.

“Like what, Ryth?” She asked, softly – tired. She was tired, it was late. _He_ was tired. It’s probably why he brought this up.

Because… there _are_ other options. Just – just not ones _anyone_ should _ever_ take, even if they are stuck in another dimension.

(Stuck. In another dimension. Oh, how _that_ brings back memories he’d rather forget.)

(But even _then,_ even at his _lowest (nearly at his lowest, his lowest was Zoey’s death he can admit that, but even **then)** , _he _never_ stooped to – _It._ To… this particular – _corruptive power.)_

(Older, even, than the Old Magic; than the Thaum, the Flux taint.)

(Far, _far older._ Even if The Mother is part of it, Her magic is… not quite. But only just.)

(… Much as _Her_ magic is part of it. But… not quite. Not entirely. _He hasn’t flown that low, not yet._ )

(He, he, _he._ Which ‘he’? Himself, perhaps. But there are other options, too.

There are always _other options._ Each much, much _worse_ than the last.)

“Nothing,” Rythian said. “It’s… nothing. Go to sleep, Zoey.”

“No, no, no,” She sat up and leaned over, buried her fingers in the grass as she stared, imploringly, at him. Rythian wasn’t avoiding her by looking at the sky; it was just a tactic. If he can’t see her expression, she can’t convince him of – whatever she’s trying to convince him of this time.

“No no,” She continued, “No no no no. No. You said ‘there are… _other options’,_ and it was _spooky,_ and now I’m **interested** _Rythian, please,_ come on, I won’t be able to sleep now,” She wheedled.

Rythian sighed. He didn’t even know why he bothered; she could convince him of pretty much anything when all she had was _text_ on a _screen,_ and given his _hatred,_ his _pure loathing_ of all things technological… that’s telling you something important.

“It’s not an option we’re taking,” He said, firmly. “I – It’s not… it’s not an option _anyone_ should take. There are… there are some forms of magic that are – even more world altering than nuclear power. The explosion at Blackrock tainted the world and… changed things. Magic and Technology – they don’t… they don’t mix well.” Rythian paused.

He should know.

“The radiation corrupted the magic. And reverted it to an… _Older_ form.” He paused.

“Emphasis,” Zoeya said, quietly. “ _Older._ Capital ‘Oh’.”

“Yes,” Rythian said. “Older. Not quite – not quite the ‘other options’, but… close.”

“So… how’s this relate to those ‘other options’ you’re so antsy about?”

“Thaumium energy – Thaumaturgy – the way Thaum and the Flux Corruption are manipulated is a kind of… it’s a kind of scientific magic, like potions, or alchemy.” Rythian hesitated. “The more you find technology in magic, the more dangerous the magic you are doing tends to be. Not always, but… it’s a sign.” Rythian sighed. “But – well, Thaum is just… it’s a child compared to the… to the _Old Magic._ To the _Old Ones._ The _Old Gods.”_

“Extra emphasis,” Zoey said, lightly. “Sounds super serious.”

“Very,” Rythian said, seriously. “I shouldn’t have – I shouldn’t have said anything. It gets in your head. If you have… _dreams,_ just… ignore them. Ignore the Call. I’m – I’m sorry I don’t…” Rythian stopped, and stared up at the sky.

He couldn’t feel _his_ magic. The magic he’d _earned._ He couldn’t connect to the magic here, either, not like Zoey; this was her _element,_ he could just **tell.**

But that _undercurrent._ It was stronger, here. Closer.

Louder.

Rythian’s brows furrowed in annoyance. Oh, he’d heard the Call ever since – but he’d _never_ heeded it. That way lay only madness, and he wanted no part of _Her_ schemes, no matter which ‘she’ he’s referring to. The Mother, The Queen…

Of course, The Queen never let him _not_ take part in her schemes. Visiting his _home_ like she did. Leaving her realm for the first time in –

Aeons.

She must have been – _desperate,_ Rythian realised, eyes widening a fraction as he stared up at the sky. She _left_ the _End,_ and The Queen _never_ does that – and The Mother _returned,_ her Taint spreading across the world – the ways in which you could interact with her magic starting to work again – oh Gods, of course – how hadn’t he _seen it –_

Something was blocking out the sky. Rythian blinked, and his eyes focused on bright eyes and a worried expression.

“Earth to Rythian, Rythian,” Zoey said, her face sideways. Rythian blinked again. She was crouched to his left, blocking out the campfire, and she was leaned over his head, slightly too close – concerned, he could tell.

“You should sleep,” Rythian said, still conscious about the fact that Zoey hadn’t _been_ conscious and moving around for very long, and here they were – trapped in some strange dimension he knew nothing about and didn’t even know _existed_ because it’s such a complete _void_ to his senses, so different to the _actual_ Void, but either way, here they were, and – and she was better, much better, but people didn’t just recover from death by nuclear explosion and the altering of the nature of magic all converging on the spot you _existed on_ **easily.**

“I mean, Teep _did_ assign himself to being all on watch and stuff,” Zoeya said. “So, we should get some ‘z’s in, ya know? You did first watch last night anyway. You need sleep too, you know.” Zoey finished, softer. She lightly squeezed his shoulder, then moved back around the campfire. Before she settled back down, she made sure the fire wasn’t about to die on them, and then she returned to the minimal comfort of a makeshift bedroll.

 “Good night, Zoey.” Rythian said, quietly. The little creatures that were singing non-stop were louder, and so was even the crackling of the fire and Zoey herself, shifting among the fabric as she tried to get comfortable, so Zoeya, truthfully, didn’t hear a single word.

**Author's Note:**

> hmmmmmmmmmmm i like the stories the Yogs tell but please don't confuse this for RPF, imo that's gross and that's my PSA for the day. Not particularly sorry. At all.


End file.
